Victory
by VampireNaomi
Summary: Alex survived the events of Mt. Aleph, but not without paying a price...


I don't own Golden Sun, the characters, locations etc, and this is pure fan entertainment. No money is made either.

**VICTORY**

Mt. Aleph had once been a huge and mighty landmark that everyone in Angara knew. Even those who had never seen it knew what it looked like because of stories and old paintings. Children had told each other that they would climb on the top once they were old enough. Some had even practised on the hills near their villages.

Despite all this very few could have told why the mountain had been famous. It just had been, and ordinary people hadn't bothered to wonder why.

But everyone knew what had happened to the mountain and that had just made it more famous.

Mt. Aleph had collapsed and disappeared underground because of something most people would never understand. They believed an earthquake or another catastrophe had taken the mountain, or that the ground had fallen apart under the pressure of the mountain.

This was what had happened, of course, but again only few knew why. What everyone knew though was that anyone who had been unfortunate enough to be too close couldn't have survived.

Alex moved his fingers. Doing that felt incredibly difficult, but he didn't even feel surprised. He paid no attention the the stabbing pain in his chest or that his left leg had bent in an unnatural position.

The only thing that mattered to him was that he was alive.

He was alive!

A muffled laugh escaped through his lips in a obscure gurgle and he barely noticed he was spitting blood on his face. He was alive despite all the pain he felt. He was alive despite that he barely felt his limbs under all the pain.

He sat up and hissed as his ribs objected. He tried to push the feeling in the back of his mind and forced his body to obey. He had made it, mere pain could not stop him anymore.

It was night and the sky was covered in dark clouds. Part of Alex was happy and surprised for that he had not disappeared with the mountain. He almost stayed to watch the sky for a while, but remained in control of himself. There was no time, he had to concentrate on staying alive.

His leg was broken and touching it sent painful waves through his body. He saw bone stick out of his calf and had to turn his eyes away.

The air smelled damp and Alex suspected it had just rained. He didn't feel cold though, in fact he felt uncomfortably hot. He brushed sweaty hair from his face thankful for that at least his hands were fine.

Water.

As if lead by instincts Alex rolled on his side and yelped in the process when his body had everything against it. He had to lie still for a moment and let the pain subside and only then he could concentrate in the small pond next to him.

Rain had created a pond in a small hollow and Alex shoved his face eagerly in the water. It cooled his burning face and he raised it only when he had to breathe again.

Then he drank as fast as he could.

The water tasted of dirt and blood that had washed off his face. Alex didn't mind, living was much more important. He almost choked as he drank and he had to stop to cough and drew a breath.

It didn't hurt.

Alex froze in shock as he felt how his body was healing on its own. He was too surprised to do anything and only after the strange, calming feeling had faded he dared to move.

"Fascinating," he said examining himself. He had no broken bones anymore and the raging pain was a mere memory.

Alex lifted his eyes in the sky. The water had healed him. Now his thoughts were clearer as well, and he suspected it was because the lighthouses had been lit. The Golden Sun had risen above Mt. Aleph so it was only natural that the nature near the mountain had been affected by it.

He snorted in amuse. If mere rain water could heal a dying person... what would he be able to do with his new powers?

_At least not defeat the Wise One,_ a nasty voice in his mind whispered.

"I merely need practice," Alex muttered. That had to be it. He wasn't used to his new powers yet, but in time he would learn to control them and would fulfill his dream.

Ruling the world...

Alex stood up and looked around. He was near the former Mt. Aleph and the lights he could see far away had to come from the camp of escaped Valeans. The poor souls had no idea what was going on near them.

He would have to find a place to rest and the following day he would start making new plans. But at first he would have to heal himself properly.

Alex reached inside himself expecting to feel the familiar coldness of his Psyenergy. It had always been his only friend and comforter during lonely moments, and he had never loved anyone or anything as much. Not even Mia had been as important as his powers.

He felt nothing.

A wave of panic flashed through him and he tried again. He searched his heart trying to find the power that he had learned to use before turning seven. But it was nowhere, he couldn't feel it.

Now that he thought of it, he hadn't felt the power of water at all since he had woken up. The nature around him had to be full of Psyenergy because of the lighthouses, and yet he didn't feel anything.

He should feel it, he had never before stopped feeling. Not even after being completely drained. They had once been surprised by monsters when he had traveled with Saturos and Menardi, and fighting and healing Felix had taken all of his Psyenergy. Even then he had felt the power of Mercury around himself, and it had been always present in his dreams.

Alex glanced around in fear. There was no one and nothing and he suddenly realised he had no way to protect himself.

He couldn't feel Psyenergy anymore.

His only love had been taken from him.

He was nothing.

Alex fell on his knees and screamed in despair.

He had become blind to Psyenergy.

* * *

The morning was grey, cold and uncomfortable. People who had fled from Vale stayed in their tents and small huts, and very few of them dared to step out in the weather.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? Why don't you take me with you?" Garet asked and Jenna turned to look at her friend.

"I will be fine, believe it already!" she assured and Garet looked relieved. To be honest, he had never wanted to go out when the weather was that bad. He was more like a guy who preferred to stay in warm when it rained outside.

"Have fun," he said before Jenna left. The young woman waved at her friend and started to walk through the camp.

Life was hard now that their village was gone, but they were thankful nevertheless. Vale would be rebuilt once the weather got better and then they would go on with their lives. That was what they all said to each other.

Jenna brushed hair from her face. Felic would build himself his own house, but Jenna would live with her parents until she got married. She had nothing against it, she was just happy to spend time with her parents after what they had been through.

A large clearing opened in front of her eyes. There were small hills here and there, but most of Mt. Aleph was a mere memory. Grass grew everywhere, but other plants were yet to come. Jenna continued her way through the fields of grass and left the camp behind herself.

Rain whipped her face and she had to slit her eyes. Empty bottles chinked in her bag and Jenna kept a close eye on her surroundings. If she found water she would have to collect all of it.

They weren't sure of what had happened, but the events of Mt. Aleph had caused that strange things happened near the former mountain. Trees were already growing unnaturally fast near the fallen peak. Rain water had healing powers. Animals had turned strangely intelligent.

The water was especially important for them. They didn't need much of it themselves because Mia and Picard were able to heal their sick. Mia would even be able to do it alone once Picard returned to his homeland. But the water was still useful, they could sell it in other towns and use the money to rebuild Vale.

When she found a puddle Jenna bent down to fill a bottle. The water was clear and she closed the cork pleased with herself. She was not able to heal like Mia and Picard and she wouldn't be as much of use in the rebuilding as Isaac and others, but she could help as well.

Jenna continued on. The closer to the former mountain she got the higher the ground became and soon she had to be careful with her steps in order to avoid loose stones. It didn't bother her though, she liked wandering in nature and knew how to find her way around.

Suddenly she stopped.

There was clearly a pond some distance a way, unusually large this time, but someone had knelt next to it. Jenna increased her speed, she was curious to find out who had headed towards the same direction with her. She was not afraid or worried about who she was dealing with, though. She had Psyenergy and she had never been a weak girl.

When she got closer she stopped again.

"Alex?" she asked not knowing what to think. They had already declared the man dead. Felix had even burned a bunch of flowers in his memory and scattered the ash in a nearby river. No one had joined the Venus Adept, no one else had thought Alex to be worth it.

"No use mourning that maniac," Garet had mouthed his opinion. Isaac had turned his eyes away in shame when Felix had asked him. He had asked all of them, but no one had come.

Not even Jenna herself, but that had been mainly because Felix had arranged his lonely ceremony so soon after their adventure. Jenna had been too angry and disappointed to think anything good of Alex.

The man lifted his eyes when he heard his name said aloud. He looked pathetic.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale and he had dark bags under his eyes. His clothes were damp, dirty and all strength seemed to have left him.

He looked like a living dead.

Alex licked his lips.

"Is that you, Jenna?" he asked hoarsely.

"Of course, who else could it be?" Jenna chuckled. The whole situation seemed unreal. She was having a chat with a world ruler wannabe...

"I don't know, anyone. I can't feel or see you anymore," Alex replied.

Jenna blinked.

"What? What do you mean?" she asked. She looked Alex in the eyes and saw only that they were unfamiliar to her. But the man could still see, his gaze followed Jenna as she got closer.

"I can see your face, body and hair. I can hear your voice and the sound of your breathing, but I can't feel the fire inside you. I don't know who you are."

Jenna didn't like the way Alex spoke and acted. The man had never talked like that or with such an emotional voice. He had always been controlled and as cold as ice, this new behaviour made Jenna nervous.

"I don't understand what you are saying," she said and took a step back. Alex looked... horrible. He had an odd gleam in his eyes and to Jenna it seemed that he paid very little attention to the world around him. It was like he was more interested in his inner realm. "You're scaring me."

Alex chuckled dryly. He stayed kneeling next to the water and Jenna believed he had drank it as much as possible.

"It won't heal me," the man said as if guessing her thoughts. "It won't give me my soul back."

"You are mad," Jenna said in uncertainty. Whatever had happened to Alex on top of Mt. Aleph must have destroyed his mind. She felt a distant prick of pity while looking at the man who had used to be so powerful and wise.

Alex smiled and bent to drink more water.

"If I drink enough I will heal," he said.

Jenna didn't want to hear more. For some reason this new Alex scared her more than anything the man had ever said or done. She turned around and ran not looking behind herself.

When she returned to the camp she told everyone that Alex had lost his mind. They all went back to look for him, but he was not at the pond anymore. They wandered around the whole day and night searching for the man with blue hair.

They never found him.

**The End**

**AN:** Now, one might argue that our controlled Alex can't lose it that easily, but to be honest... I always thought he was kinda mad to begin with. Even if he is my favourite character. ;D


End file.
